African Sightseeing Holidays

Beautiful Africa Holidays

The most obvious sightseeing tours in Africa include the stunning North African ancient cities of Carthegenia in Tunisia, Marrakesch in Morroco and Cairo in Egypt. For something a bit less ordinary, Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations in Africa, and its history stretches back thousands of years. It has some of the only castles in Africa, at Gondar, which were mostly built in the 17th century and several . There are also fascinating rock churches, notably St George in Laibela, the ancient walled city of Harar, beautiful mosques and numerous game reserves. Addis Ababa has some fascinating museums and religious sites.

African Sightseeing Holidays Highlights

Tunisia has many sights associated with ancient cultures, including Carthage and many Roman remains.

Morocco is also brilliant for sightseeing – wander the souks, take a trip into the Atlas Mountains, and enjoy the bustling cities.

Namibia has some surprising sights, including a German castle, wild horses, abandoned mining villages and memorials and museums related to the First World War.

Swaziland has particularly colourful Royal Festivals and some excellent places to buy arts and crafts.

Nigeria has one of the continent’s biggest cities, Lagos – you’ll find plenty of attractions there.

Sightseeing Holidays in Africa

Sinai, the part of Egypt detached from the Africa mainland, has many fascinating sights. Chief amongst them is Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. You can either get a camel or hike up the mountain and watch the dawn. Don’t miss the nearby Monastery of St Catherine. Visit the Ras Abu Galum both to dive in the famous Blue Hole and to visit a Bedouin village. You can also include a trip to ‘mainland’ Egypt, to see the many Ancient Egyptian sights there.

Tanzania has many fantastic things to see. The first is Kilimanjaro – even if you don’t fancy climbing it, you can still admire it from below. Visit the Ngorogoro Crater and the Odluvai Gorge. Tanzania has a portion of two of the biggest lakes in Africa, Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. There are numerous game reserves, and you’re sure to enjoy wandering the exotic streets of the island of Zanzibar. To the southeast is one of Africa’s most stunning sights and the largest waterfall in the world, the Victoria falls, tumbling between the borders of Zimbabwe and Zambia.

There’s lots to see and do in KwaZulu-Natal, the easternmost region of South Africa. Start off at Durban, the province’s capital, to see the fantastic Shaka Marine World aquarium, and grab a spicy curry bunny for lunch. Battlefield tours are immensely popular, relating to wars between the Zulus, the Afrikaners and the British, who all fought each other at various times here, at Blood River, Rorke’s Drift, Isandlwana, and Ladysmith. You can also see traditional Zulu singing and dancing displays, the fantastic Drakensberg Mountains, and the Royal Natal National Park, which has the world’s second-highest waterfall as well as a range of African beasts. Oh, and if you get a chance to breathe in between all those sights, Durban and the rest of the coast have a great beach and surfing scene. There’s also a lot to see in other parts of South Africa, particularly in the Cape and in Gauteng, the district that includes Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Sightseeing Tours & Accommodation

It’s nearly always possible to combine either a beach or a safari holiday with some sightseeing. If there’s anywhere that you have your heart set on seeing, check you can definitely get there before you book.

Distances between towns and attractions can be long, particularly compared to Europe – don’t try to get around too much in one day.

Some African countries operate a separate pricing system for visitors and residents to popular attractions.

If you’re keen to buy souvenirs, you’ll generally find them at roadside stalls around sights, as well as at shops inside. Depending on the situation, buying them from stalls can mean that locals get a better deal.